Chaparral is a shrubland plant community primarily located in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It constitutes a significant part of the California floristic province.
The ecosystem is shaped by a Mediterranean climate characterized by infrequent but high-intensity crown fires. Many shrubs within this community possess hard sclerophyllous evergreen leaves, distinguishing them from the soft-leaved, drought-deciduous scrub communities such as coastal sage scrub that often grow on drier, southern-facing slopes.